About

The Atlantic Council is proud to announce the 2018 Korea Journalist Fellowship Program. In partnership with the Korea Foundation, the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security will host the inaugural class of Fellows in Fall 2018. The Atlantic Council Korea Journalist Fellowship is a unique opportunity for early/mid-career US-based journalists working in US media to develop a deeper knowledge of the most critical economic and security issues on the Korean peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific more broadly. By engaging with the next generation of thinkers and policy shapers in Seoul and by working with leading experts in Washington, DC, Fellows will gain a better understanding of current attitudes and shifting perceptions that will affect the US-ROK relationship in years to come. Working with seasoned professionals in South Korea and the United States, Fellows will have the opportunity to broaden their professional portfolios while building lasting ties with their counterparts in Korea and contribute to the Atlantic Council’s ongoing mission of upholding the rules-based international order through engagement, dialogue, and fostering a Trans-Atlantic-Pacific community.

Structure

The Fellowship program works to increase understanding between the Republic of Korea and the United States. The program will host eight to ten journalists interested in learning more about the Republic of Korea. The Fellowship will begin in fall 2018 and will include three private roundtables in Washington, DC as well as a trip to South Korea. The reception to launch this journalist fellowship will be held on November 1, 2018, and the journalists for the 2018 Class will be selected by the end of November. The Atlantic Council plans to host two roundtables prior to the delegation trip to Seoul, which is tentatively scheduled to happen sometime between December and February. The delegation will meet with high-level government officials and experts in South Korea. A final wrap-up roundtable will occur after the trip. Contingent on their selection as Fellows, journalists will commit to attending all three roundtables and joining the delegation on the ground in Seoul. Fellows should also be prepared to research at least one longer story during the program, and to publish at least one article/broadcast piece after the fellowship, though they will retain full editorial control of said piece. The Fellowship will cover travel, lodging, meals, and transportation for the trip to Seoul. Fellows who work outside of Washington, DC will be responsible for covering their own travel costs to Washington, DC for the private roundtables.

The roundtables will feature a panel of leading experts, academics, and government officials with experience working on economic and security issues in the Asia-Pacific. The roundtables will be an opportunity for Fellows to learn more about significant issues affecting the Korean peninsula, giving them an opportunity to benefit from the expertise of career foreign policy experts before the trip to Seoul. Fellows will be expected to stay up-to-date on any developments pertinent to US-ROK relations and to actively participate during the roundtable discussions.

2018 Program – A Way Forward for the Peaceful and Denuclearized Korean Peninsula

2018 has been a historic year for trilateral relations between the United States, Republic of Korea, and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and despite all the developments that have happened thus far, the coming months promise to be equally momentous. As the three countries work toward a peaceful and denuclearized Korean Peninsula based on the agreements laid out in the Panmunjom Declaration, the Singapore Summit, and the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018, journalists and the media will play a key role in ensuring that both policymakers and the general public are well-informed and share a deep understanding of the process as it develops. As such, the inaugural class of Atlantic Council Korea Journalist Fellows will be provided with opportunities during their fellowship to meet with senior officials, seasoned journalists, and opinion leaders, enabling the Fellows to contribute to the ongoing dialogue taking place both on and about the future of the Korean Peninsula.

October Application window opens for Atlantic Council Korea Journalist Fellowship Program
November 1 Public launch of Atlantic Council Korea Journalist Fellowship Program, with reception featuring Atlantic Council CEO and President Fred Kempe and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius
November 26 Application window closes for Atlantic Council Korea Journalist Fellowship Program
December Final selection of 2018 Class of Fellows
December First and second roundtables in Washington, DC
December -February (TBC) Delegation trip to Seoul, South Korea
March Final wrap-up roundtable in Washington, DC

Program Eligibility

Early to mid-career journalists based in the US and working in US media with experience covering foreign policy, international security, or Asian politics in a US media outlet are eligible to apply. Candidates will have the following background:

  • A working journalist with at least 3 years of experience in media (radio, TV, print, digital) and a portfolio of published/broadcast work.
  • Interested in covering policy and politics and able to show past work in this area.
  • No Korean language skills are required.

Application and Selection Process

A complete application package will include:

  • A résumé of not more than one single-sided page in length;
  • A cover letter of not more than one single-sided page in length;
  • Two letters of recommendation;
  • Three examples of your work, such as published articles, reports, news reel, etc., including links where applicable.

Please send all application materials, other than letters of recommendation, in a single email with title following the format “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Application” to KFJournalistFellowship@AtlanticCouncil.org. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly by your recommender, also following the format of “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Application” in the email title. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their recommenders send their letters in before the deadline.

When sending in your application materials, please follow the below naming conventions:

  • Résumé: “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Resume”
  • Cover Letter: “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Cover Letter”
  • Letter of Recommendation: “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Rec Letter”
  • Previous Work: “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Sample 1”, “[APPLICANT LAST NAME], [APPLICANT FIRST NAME]: Sample 2,” etc.
    • If the file is a video or audio file that is too large to attach in an email, please feel free to upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, or another streaming service, and mention appropriately in the body of your email.

The application deadline has been extended to 11:59 p.m. EST on November 26, 2018 (Monday). Applications that are late or incomplete will not be accepted. Fellows will be selected by a review committee of the Atlantic Council, and the Korea Foundation does not seek to influence the selection process.

Expectations for participants

  • Participants should be prepared to research at least one longer story during the program, and to identify this in advance.
  • Each participant will be encouraged to publish at least one article/broadcast piece after the fellowship.
  • Editorial control and decisions remain with the journalist.